


To Protect

by Lightybug



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-18
Updated: 2013-09-18
Packaged: 2017-12-26 22:29:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/971035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightybug/pseuds/Lightybug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Makoto has never backed down when it came to protecting his siblings, and this time was no different.</p><p>Prompt fill. Now in español! Link inside!</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Protect

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: http://marukaprompts.tumblr.com/post/61359011170/someone-breaks-into-makotos-house-when-hes
> 
> Translated to Español by Kirinenko at FF.net! http://www.fanfiction.net/u/4840859/Kirinenko 
> 
> Translated version: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9744193/1/To-Protect

“Ha! You lose again. Onii-chan!” The twin chorus of delighted giggles and laughter accented by the sounds coming from the television filled Makoto’s room as his character was once again beaten by the ruthless duo of Ren and Ran.

It was late Friday night and Makoto was babysitting again. His parents had gone to Tokyo for the weekend to meet up with some old friends at a university reunion and had left Ren and Ran in the capable hands of their eldest son.

It was hard to Makoto to remember how to be responsible for both of his siblings on his own. Haru was usually with him, helping make dinner and bathe the twins and then helping Makoto tire them out with video games or bedtime stories.

But Nagisa, who insisted “he wanted to spend quality time with Haru-chan since Makoto was a possessive boyfriend,” had dragged Haru to a movie. Haru hadn’t protested and neither had Makoto. They had all weekend to spend together and the movie was a particularly graphic horror film that would leave Makoto up all night if he saw it. He had merely told them to have fun and then chuckled to himself.

Haru was actually the possessive one, but Nagisa didn’t need to know that now did he?

“Well,” Makoto laughed sheepishly, “What can I say, you guys are better than me.” He smiled and ruffled his hand through Ren’s hair.

“Aw, Onii-chan,” Ren pouted, “You’re not letting us win on purpose, are you?”

“No! No, of course not!” Makoto said quickly, putting up his hands in defense, “You guys know that! Even if Haru was here, I still always lose!” The Ran giggled and Ren joined in with his sister quickly.

“Onii-chan is so bad at video games,” Ran giggled, her pretty turquoise eyes sparkling beneath dark bangs.

“Well, I think that’s enough excitement for tonight,” Makoto said, smiling at his siblings as he started to wrap the cord of his controller around it, “You guys have to get to bed. I’ll even read to you for a bit, how’s that sound?”

“One more round, please?” Ren said almost automatically, his light brown eyes taking on a hurt puppy look. Ran peeked over Ren’s shoulder, giving her big brother an equally convincing pout. In their minds, they had Makoto wrapped around their little fingers when Haru wasn’t there. Makoto laughed; he liked to let them think that they could control him, but he let them get away with it this time.

“Alright, alright,” he conceded, “We’ll play once mo-“

  _Thunk._

Makoto froze and stopped talking immediately when he heard a thump downstairs, his eyes narrowing as he listened for another sound.

“Onii-chan? What’s wro-“

“Shh,” Makoto quickly shushed Ran, holding a hand out for them to stop tittering between themselves so he could listen.

 _Thump_.

“What was that, Onii-chan? Is Haru-chan coming by after all?” Ren asked, his voice a hushed whisper.

No, it wouldn’t be Haru. Makoto knew that. Haru would’ve called or texted before he just came over, knowing how big of a scaredy-cat Makoto was. Besides, he had told Makoto the movie was late, and that he’d be tired after, too tired to play with the excitable twin Tachibanas.

Makoto’s mind flashed back to the news that was on a few nights earlier about break-ins in the area and he resisted a shudder. He turned to Ren and Ran, giving them a gentle smile and patting each of them on the head.

“Stay here, alright?” He said, though the sweetness in his smile didn’t quite reach his voice, “Onii-chan will be right back. Something must have fallen downstairs.” The twins nodded slowly in unison, as if on queue. Makoto stood up and slid the door to his room closed behind him before he crept downstairs.

He had put away whatever was left from dinner and washed the dishes while Ren and Ran had set up the video games. The downstairs lights were off for the night, but Makoto found himself not scared of the dark for once. Probably because his siblings were upstairs, defenseless, and it was up to him to protect them at all costs. That’s what his father had told him the day he picked Makoto up from school to take him to the hospital to meet Ren and Ran.

Yeah, _definitely_ because they were upstairs. He would protect them from anything.

Makoto crept quietly down the hall after flicking on a light in the kitchen and seeing nothing. He heard another movement in the front room and he narrowed his eyes, squaring his shoulders as he crept along the wall in the hall, squinting in the darkness for anything.

His fingers found the light switch on the wall in the darkness when he was in the doorway of the living room and he flicked it on. The room was flooded with light and Makoto felt himself freeze up.

Two men were standing in the room, covered in black, their faces obscured by masks. Each of them held a baseball bat and were searching through things in the room for items of value. The figures froze too when Makoto turned the lights on.

“Get out,” Makoto heard himself saying, surprised by how even and strong his voice sounded, his fists clenching at his sides. He was easily taller than the both of them, and more muscled. For once, he was glad his bigger, more comfortable shirts were in the wash. The one he was wearing was tight and hugged his chest in all the right places, and it happened to be one of Haru’s favorite shirts that he wore.

But he couldn’t think about that now. He had to stay focused on the intruders currently staring at him in the middle of his house.

“I don’t want to repeat myself,” Makoto said, his voice lowering to a growl, “I said, _get out_.” The two exchanged looks and dropped the bags they were holding, but they didn’t back off. Instead, they started to move forward slightly, but Makoto held his ground. There was no way he would let these bastards upstairs to hurt Ren and Ran. If worse came to worse, he would let them take anything if they would just-

“Onii-chan?” Makoto froze, his eyes going wide at the call that came from far too close behind him. Turning halfway to look behind him, his eyes widened at Ren and Ran standing there.

“I told you to stay upstairs and be quiet!” He wished he could snap at them, but his voice came out more desperate than angry.

“Heh, wouldja look at that,” one of the robbers snorted, “Ain’t such a big scary dude after all, are ya?” Makoto turned his gaze back to the slowly advancing men, pushing Ren and Ran behind his large frame.

“Take whatever the hell you want,” he said sharply, “I won’t stop you, just take whatever you want and don’t hurt them.” He felt a tremble behind him and he knew it was probably Ren who was shaking. The brown haired boy was always one to scare before his sister did. But then Ran whimpered softly and Makoto felt a deep ache go through his chest at his own helplessness.

“Nah, I think we wanna stick around,” one of the guy said, slapping the bat against the heel of him palm to appear intimidating, “Such a big shot like you should be able to kick us out, huh?” Makoto gritted his teeth as protective rage started to fire up in his body. He had doubted that the men would just leave. The burglaries that had been happening around were usually the same time of night, and while the families were home no less.

“Onii-chan,” Ran whimpered, gripping Makoto’s hand tightly, his other hand in Ren’s small hand.

“Shh, it’ll be okay,” Makoto said softly, not lowering his gaze or taking his eyes off of the burglars, “Onii-chan will protect you.” He gave each of their hands a tight squeeze.

The man on the left stared for him, bat held ready to swing. Makoto pushed the twins back into the kitchen area, his frame blocking the doorway. He raised one hand to stop the bat from swinging down and he put up his elbow in defense. His elbow made contact with the chest of the man, causing the assailant to let out a sharp wheeze. Makoto kicked him back but didn’t have the time to avoid the other bat that came swinging down.

The concentrated wood hit him hard in the side along his rib cage and he felt sharp pain explode from the area, sending a numbing feeling through his arm as his nerves tingling with pain.

The pain didn’t stop him and he swung his fist, making contact with the robber’s cheek and chin, sending his head turning sharply to the left. The man staggered back and Makoto barely had time to avoid the other - who had recovered - from swinging directly at his head. The bat cracked down hard on the junction between his shoulder and his shoulder blade when he tried to turn his body to avoid it all together.

He couldn’t help the yelp of pain at that hit and his hand flew up to clutch his shoulder. Pain was radiating from his side across his chest and from his shoulder down his arm. He groaned softly, backing up a few steps and feeling the wall at his back.

“See?” one of the men panted with exertion, “Not so tough, huh?” Makoto gritted his teeth at the comment, standing up from the slightly hunched position he was in due to the pain. He could deal with the stabbing pain. He could pretend it was strain from swim practice, and that Haru would give him a massage later, if it would help him to protect his siblings,

“I gave you the option to leave,” he gritted out, hiding any pain from his voice, “This is your last chance.” The man on his right barked out a harsh laugh behind his mask.

“Real threatening kid.” He stepped forward quickly, and Makoto started to bring up an arm to defend himself on instinct, but the man moved for the now unguarded doorway.

Makoto felt the other burglar’s bat come down hard on his left side but he barely registered the pain when a shriek left Ran’s mouth from the kitchen at the advancing man. He suddenly felt a wave of failure come over him. He had left the doorway unguarded and Ren and Ran were even more scared. He bolted to the right, only to be met with the hard surface of a well-aimed strike to his chest and a kick aimed at his stomach.

He heard himself let out a strangled yell, but it didn’t matter. He was guarding the entrance to the kitchen again. As long as he was there, they’d be save.

A strike to his lower back actually caused him to cry out, though he wished he hadn’t. With the air knocked out of him and nearly every part of his chest hurting, he toppled to the ground at the next kick.

He didn’t know if he was on the ground for one minute or for ten. All he knew was that _pain_ was registering _everywhere_. Swim practice had certainly never strained him this badly. He brought a shaking hand to his mouth to cover the sounds of agony at would surely make him sound weak.

He wasn’t weak. He was a protector, a guardian. And he had promised to safeguard his siblings no matter the pain. He heard Ren starting to cry in the background and he urgently wanted to stand, to defend himself, but he didn’t have the strength or the opportunity.

The strikes stopped abruptly, but Makoto didn’t dare open his eyes and show the attackers watery, green orbs. He had too much pride to do that.

“Shit! It’s the cops!” Sure enough, wailing sirens were in the distance and getting louder by the second.

Makoto’s hearing was quickly replaced by intense ringing when pain exploded in the side of his head. His vision blurred and spun dangerously and he watched feebly as the forms dressed in black ran. He tried pushing himself up but that only made the pain worse and he collapsed back to the floor. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly where the worst pain was coming from; _everything_ hurt. The vision in his right eyes became obscured with red and he vaguely registered blood dripping into his eye.

“Onii-chan! Onii-chan!” He was barely able to pick up the cries and screams of his siblings. Booted feet had stormed the house. Quick hands were turning him onto his back, which only causes more pain to erupt from various locations. That was the most he could take and he gladly let his vision fade to black. 

* * *

 

“Bye, Haru-chan! See you Monday!” Haru raised his hand in a half-wave as he watched Nagisa board the train. He let his hand drop limply to his side when the train pulled out of the station.

He was exhausted.

The honey blond had talked his ear off the entire time, and whispered to him constantly during the movie. He had found himself wishing he was at Makoto’s multiple times. He’d rather have his personal space invaded by Ren or Ran over having a movie ruined by Nagisa’s talking.

Oh well. The blond had clearly enjoyed himself and now Haru was looking forward to a weekend full of spending long hours with Makoto. Smiling softly to himself, he turned and started to head home.

The night was cool and quiet and Haru was looking forward to going home and taking a hot bath. He rounded a corner on the walk and stopped abruptly to look ahead. There were lights flashing farther ahead in the neighborhood and Haru narrowed his eyes slightly. People around didn’t usually ever have parties or loud get-togethers in the area. Haru warily decided to figure out what was going on. It was near Makoto’s house anyway. Maybe he could end up staying over after all.

However, as he neared the lights, he realized it was _very_ close to Makoto’s house and that the lights switched between blue and red repeatedly. Fear went through Haru and he sped up into a quick walk and then a run. Had one of the twins gotten sick or hurt? Was Makoto okay? Was Makoto _hurt?_ The latter was the scariest to think about.

Haru’s heart sank when he arrived at Makoto’s house. He saw Ren and Ran standing with some police officers and he walked over quickly, crouching next to the twins, completely ignoring the officer.

“Are you alright?” He asked urgently, scanning them for injuries and finding none. Ren was a mess, blubbering and sobbing incoherently, his hand clutched tight in Ran’s. At any other occasion, Haru would’ve thought how much the boy was like Makoto was when he was younger.

“Ha-Haru-chan!” Ren sobbed, flinging himself, and pulling Ran with him, into Haru’s arms. The police officer looked down at him and Haru held his gaze, tightening his arms around the twins.

“Where’s Makoto?” Haru asked, cutting to the chase, directing his question at the twins in his arms but keeping his gaze on the man above him, his eyes narrowed and protective.

“They won’t let us see him,” Ran sniffled against his neck, “Onii-chan got hurt.” Haru froze; he had barely heard the last part with Ran’s face pressed against his neck and the commotion around.

“He... He got hurt?” Haru murmured in disbelief.

“Excuse me, I must ask,” the police offer cut in, interrupting Haru’s thoughts, “Are you a family member?”

“Haru-chan is Onii-chan’s boyfriend,” Ran answered for him when Haru failed to do so. Haru’s eyes were busy scanning around quickly, trying to catch sight of Makoto _somewhere_ standing up and chatting with an officer about how it had all been a mistake.

But the wetness of the tears against his neck and the sobs still wracking Ren’s body were evidence to the fact that Makoto wasn’t alright.

“Where is he?” Haru asked, cutting off whatever the officer had been saying. He hadn’t been listening in the first place. He _needed_ to find Makoto. He needed to _see_ him and then he needed to make him better.

“The other boy? He’s with the paramedics but you shouldn’t-“ Haru stopped listening after that. He stood quickly, looking down at Ren and Ran with gentle eyes.

“Say here. I’ll be back.” And then he was off, walking as fast as he could, shouldering past people to reach the ambulance sitting nearby.

Haru could’ve sworn his heart stopped at the sight of Makoto lying motionless and unconscious on the stretcher. A preliminary bandage had been pressed to his forehead, but blood was already seeping through it. He moved closer, pulling Makoto’s hand into his own, squeezing gently, as if the touch would cause bright green eyes to open and a smile to spread over Makoto’s still face.

Nothing happened, and Haru felt his heart sink slightly for getting his hopes up foolishly.

* * *

The next hour went by in a blurred haze for Haru. He and the twins had taken the ambulance with Makoto to the hospital. When the paramedics had pulled up his boyfriend’s shirt to evaluate the damage, Haru had felt cold, and angry. Dark bruises were already blooming over Makoto’s tan skin and Haru wanted for him to wake up even more.

The officers had met them at the hospital and filled Haru in on what had happened. It turned out that Ran had called the police to come to the house. Haru stopped listening after the first few sentences, not one to bother about details when more important things were on his mind.

More important things being Makoto’s wellbeing.

After the officer had left, Haru sat with Ren, who had finally calmed down, and Ran in the waiting room, alternatively switching between holding one of them on his lap and holding the hand of the other one. They needed reassurance, and by reassuring them Haru felt a bit of closure himself. When he told them that their big brother would be fine, he believed it himself a little more each time.

Finally, they got to go into the room that Makoto was in, still unconscious but with a proper bandage on his forehead. The amount of relief that Haru felt when the nurses told him nothing was broken was staggering. Makoto wouldn’t be in too much long-term pain, and that was probably the biggest relief to him at the moment.

The next biggest relief would be if Makoto woke up.

Haru had been sitting besides his bed for hours, his hand tightly holding Makoto’s. It was past midnight and the twins had fallen asleep on the other side of the room on a couch under a blanket. Their parents were rushing back from Tokyo as fast as possible. They had dropped all their plans as soon as they had heard what happened and caught the fastest train back.

Haru absently traced the veins in Makoto’s hand with his fingertips, his thumb rubbing a small circle into Makoto’s palm. He wanted Makoto to know he was there, that he was holding his hand. The nurses had told him that Makoto would wake up in few hours, but Haru was impatient. Sighing softly, he held Makoto’s hand in both of his own, bringing it up to his lips to press a soft kiss to his knuckles, mostly to comfort himself, to give himself physical contact.

Thirty more minutes passed before Makoto gave a soft groan. Haru had started to nod off, but at the single sound from Makoto’s lips, he was standing immediately, leaning over Makoto in the bed.

“Haru?” Makoto’s voice was rough and thick with drowsiness but hearing it was enough.

“Open your eyes, Makoto,” Haru said softly, giving the hand held in his own a squeeze. When Makoto’s half-lidded, green orbs were staring blearily up at him, Haru let out a shudder and a sigh, leaning to rest his forehead gently against Makoto’s, avoiding the bandage hidden slightly by soft, caramel bangs.

“Where is this? What happened?” Makoto asked softly, letting his eyes slip shut again at the feeling of Haru’s forehead on his own.

“Hospital,” Haru mumbled, suddenly feeling the exhaustion he had been holding back creep up, “You got hit in the head. You have a concussion, and lots of bruises.”

“They were going to hurt Ren and Ran,” Makoto said quietly, “I couldn’t let them!” He opened his eyes to look into Haru’s desperately.

“I know, I know,” Haru murmured, lifting the hand that wasn’t clutching Makoto’s to cup his cheek, “Ren and Ran are fine. They’re sleeping over there,” he said, tilting his chin in their direction, “Your parents will be here soon.” Makoto blinked once and then sighed, squeezing Haru’s hand tightly and leaning into the warm palm on his cheek slightly.

“Sorry I worried you, Haru-chan,” he said softly. Haru didn’t say anything. It would be insensitive to lie and say he wasn’t worried.

“It’s alright,” Haru said quietly, “This is... This is nothing compared to what you went through.”

“What do you..? _Oh_ ,” Makoto breathed, knowing what Haru was referring too. The day he had pulled his best friend’s body from the river, shaking and screaming and _begging_ for Haru to wake up, soaked and shivering on the muddy bank. The day still went down in his book as the most terrifying day of his life. The day he had nearly lost Haru.

Makoto gave an involuntary shudder that causes him to wince slightly at the movement, but he smiled up at Haru nonetheless.

“You’re planning on spending all night here with me, aren’t you?” he said, his eyes twinkling slightly, a knowing smile on his lips. Haru couldn’t explain the feeling that went through him when the smile he so desperately craved to see was back on Makoto’s face and he nodded.

“Of course. You’re hurt,” he stated matter-of-factly. The hospital bed would be big enough to accommodate them both, but Haru didn’t want to aggravate any of Makoto’s injuries so he sat back into the chair. Makoto’s eyebrows turned up at his movement.

“Haru? There’s plenty of room. And that chair looks uncomfortable,” he supplied.

“I don’t want to make your injuries worse.”

“It’s fine,” Makoto said, giving Haru’s hand a squeeze and a light tug, “Nothing hurts too badly right now, and I _want_ you beside me. Please, Haru-chan?” Haru felt a small smile tugging at his lips and he nodded, letting Makoto slide with calling him the nickname a second time in one night. He stood and toed off his shoes, letting go of Makoto’s hand for just a brief moment so he could shrug off his think jacket.

In a few minutes, they were settled in the bed, Haru pressed lightly into Makoto’s side, their still intertwining hands in between their bodies.

* * *

Makoto was released from the hospital the next day and Haru spent all weekend doting on him and pampering him. Makoto certainly didn’t protest, though he was particularly sick of mackerel by the time the weekend was over. The bruises would take a while to fade, but after a few days, the pain had lessened enough for Makoto to return to school with Haru. Nagisa, Rei, and Kou had all expressed constant worry, but Makoto managed to reassure all of them that he was fine.

And he really was.

Unlike other painful experiences in his life, this one made him proud. Protecting Ren and Ran was the most important thing to him that night, and he had accomplished his goal.

Weeks later, Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana were going away for the weekend once more after Makoto reassured them multiple times that it would be okay. He would have Haru with him this time. Nothing would go wrong as long as Haru was with him.

After all, Haru had expressly stated that he wasn’t _allowed_ to babysit alone every again, and Makoto had no choice but to agree, laughing as he placed a kiss on Haru’s pouting lips. 

**Author's Note:**

> Eheheh. I think I have a problem with hurting Makoto whether it be physically or emotionally I'm sorry
> 
> Anywho, hope I did the prompt justice? uvu
> 
> Comments are always appreciated! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


End file.
